COP 04-1011: Request for Purchase

Purpose Statement

A Request for Purchase often referred to as a Purchase Requisition must be made to Procurement Services to procure specified goods and services for all operating departments of the College. The purchasing function is centrally managed by Procurement Services to assure that the terms are negotiated in the best interests of the College and comply with sound purchasing practices, accounting controls, Department of Education rules and Florida Statutes.

Guidelines

A Purchase Requisition is required prior to the issuance of a purchase order. Generally, a Purchase Requisition is required to request the purchase of all goods and services except in the following circumstances:

1. Travel related expenses which can be reimbursed via the College Travel and Expense Management Module.
2. Registration fees for conferences and seminars for which payment is required in advance.
3. Purchases by student clubs using agency (Fund 6) account funds.
4. Purchases made via PCard in accordance with COP 04-1014.

The Senior Vice President/COO or designee must approve any exception.

Procedures

1. Standardization
   1. General
      1. In the interest of quality and to minimize unnecessary effort, goods or services may be purchased via statewide, regional, combination of institutions or national buying consortia/cooperative competitively solicited agreements whenever the goods/services offered satisfies functional and educational needs.
      2. Procurement Services will ensure, insofar as possible that the items requested are not over-specified but are appropriate to meet the functional and educational needs of the College.
   2. Computer Hardware and Software
      All technology equipment, and software purchases which require installation, maintenance, administration, data integration or which will have connectivity to the College Network, or software that will be used by our employees or students must be approved by the IT Department. All quotes for technology equipment, software, or related technologies need to be obtained through the IT department.
2. Initiate the Request
   1. Each Purchase Requisition shall be initiated by the budget administrator or designee of the index/account to be charged. The request will be routed to the budget administrator for approval.
      Note: Ordering items directly from a vendor without a properly authorized purchase order could result in the employee being subject to disciplinary action.
   2. So as not to cause added delay in the processing of requisitions, those personnel responsible for preparing the individual department's requisitions should be thoroughly familiar with purchasing procedures.
3. Preparing the Purchase Requisition General Requirements
   1. The Purchase Requisition is submitted via the College’s portal (Banner Self Service). If there is not sufficient budget, the requisition will not allow its completion.
   2. It is the responsibility of the requestor to give detailed and complete descriptions of each item requested. A "model" or "part" number by itself is not sufficient information to verify or secure price quotes. Include not only the model/part number but also be specific and include the name of the item and a brief description if applicable. Additional pertinent information that does not fit in fields provided should be forwarded to Procurement Services.
   3. Price estimates, price quotes, related proposals, executed contracts, executed maintenance agreements and other applicable request for purchase support documentation should be provided to Procurement Services when the request for purchase is initiated.
   4. Incomplete details will result in request for purchase being returned to requestor, thereby, causing a delay in processing the order.
   5. Procurement Services will process requests in the order they are received except for those requests requiring special handling. If the request requires special handling due to an emergency or needs expediting, notify Procurement Services immediately. Poor planning does not constitute a need to expedite a request for purchase.
   6. The following information should be included in the proper sections of the purchase requisition.
      1. VENDOR
         The suggested Vendor’s name that is capable of supplying the requested goods/services should be provided to include a complete address, phone/fax number and email. This is only a suggested vendor and may be changed at the discretion of Procurement Services when in the best interest of the College.
      2. INDEX/ACCOUNT
         The Banner fund-organization-program is the Index against which the purchase is to be charged and the general ledger code against which the purchase is to be charged is considered the account code.
      3. ITEM DESCRIPTION
         Insert each good/service to be requested for purchase. The ‘name’ of the item to be purchased, including model, catalog or part number must be entered.
      4. UNIT OF MEASURE
         Indicate the unit of measure which identifies the packaging of the item being ordered. Units of measure can be found by using the drop-down box provided.
      5. QUANTITY/UNIT PRICE/ADDITIONAL AMOUNT
         Insert quantity of each good/service being requested and the unit cost per item. This price must be the net discounted price per item as discounts cannot be computed via Banner. Shipping or other applicable additional amounts should be indicated in column marked ‘additional amount’.
      6. PUBLIC COMMENT
         Special instructions or other applicable information should be provided in the Public Comment section.
4. Budget
   If the Budget Administrator does not have sufficient funds in the index/account to pay for the purchase, a budget transfer must be completed online prior to the requisition.
5. Submit to Procurement Services
   1. The completed Purchase Requisition will be routed through the approval queue process. If the purchase is questioned, the request will be forwarded to the Senior Vice President/COO or designee who will resolve the matter in coordination with the appropriate Vice President or President.
   2. A certain amount of time is required to process a requisition. The approximate lead time required from receipt of requisition to issuance of purchase order will be 3 days.
   3. After prices and vendor information are verified, the requisition is processed into a purchase order and emailed, faxed, or mailed within 24 hours.